ORGANIZE THIS!tips for running a tight ship

There’s a time management saying, “If it weren’t for the last minute, a lot of things wouldn’t get done.” Procrastination is a time mismanagement style
many people take to an art form. Here
are some common practices that take
the fun out of getting things done.

The Optimistic Option

You think you can do what needs to
be done in record time, so you put it
off, patting yourself on the back for
how smoothly things will go, and what
a great job you’ll do once you begin.

In the end, you do pull it off, but not
without a few moments of discomfort
that may range from slight self-doubt
to a mad dash resulting in lack of sleep
or a few chinks out of your confidence.

Sadly, you have no one to whom you
can boast about the eleventh-hour
heroic measures you were forced
to employ, lest your guilty secret
be disclosed.

The Pessimistic Position

You worry you can’t do the task at
hand, whether in record time or at
all, so you avoid even thinking about
it. You hope (or even pray) for a cancellation, postponement, or national emergency to distract everyone from your
neglect. By now, you will have to
scramble for mediocre results or throw
in the towel, admitting to your slovenly
ways. Even if you stumble your way
to success and accomplish what you
set out to do, the results are tainted
because of all the time you wasted
in self-destructive dialogue.

The Course of Remorse

This is a trip to the denizens of regret
and resentment for saying “yes” to
something you didn’t want to do and,
consequently, you don’t much like the
person who asked you either. Instead
of self-confrontation, you opt for self-flagellation, wasting time on negative
inner dialogue instead of seeking information or education about the activity
in question. You might opt for extreme
maneuvers, such as hiding when the
doorbell rings or not answering the
phone. Even if you can perform something just short of a miracle, it doesn’t
feel like a victory because you wasted
all that time in turmoil. It’s no fun
feeling like a schmuck, even if you
get a thank-you.

The Devious Dodge

Other labels for this fateful strategy
include denial, deflection or distraction. Knowing there’s little likelihood
of ever finishing the “thing” that looms
overhead, you try to wiggle out of your
responsibilities. At the first sign of
accountability, you start with excuses
outlining all the reasons why you need
to bow out, whether legit or not.

Knowing your credibility is on the line,
you try to justify why you’re not the
best person for the task and freely provide a lengthy list of those who are
more available or capable. Whether
you’re successful or not, you end up
irritated at yourself for saying “yes,”
and at the person who had the audacity
to ask in the first place—because you
both should have known better.

If you find any of these ill-conceived
strategies cringe-worthy, yet oddly
familiar, bypass the procrastination
zone. It discredits your reputation and
erodes your self-regard. It also prevents
you from building new skills, making
clear choices, and being known as
someone who lives up to your word—
which is a “must” for a speaker. Stay
in the credibility zone by remembering
that a solid “no” is better than a slippery
“yes.” And do it now.

C. Leslie Charles, CSP, is along-time NSA member, sea-soned speaker and author whostudies how social trends com-plicate personal choices atwork and home and what to do about them.